My hotel recommended this place and the reviews seem mixed. I went anyway because it's not some large chain conglomerate. The clerk at the counter was so helpful in explaining things for me and offered a paper menu for me to peruse while she waited on other customers. I finally decided on a pick 2 Combo of fried catfish and clams. It came with puffs, hush puppies, and fries. I exchanged the fries for corn on the cob and had her leave off the hush puppies. I seated myself and was pleased with how quick my food was delivered. Both the catfish and clams were cooked perfectly! I LOVED the serving size and quality of food. The puffs (fried bread) were a new experience but served as dessert with honey drizzled over them. The restaurant is run of the mill but very clean. It'd be nice if the booths were updated with new seats and cushioned backs. This will definitely be on my list of return places on future trips! read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

River Smith's has been my favorite spot for catfish since 2010. Every time I visit, I order the broiled charred whole catfish, and it never disappoints. The fish is always fresh, cooked perfectly, and full of flavor. I personally prefer bone-in fish because it enhances the taste, and they do it just right here. If you're looking for delicious, high-quality catfish, this is the place to go! read more

See all

Good relaxing. Had the whole catfish. Was pretty good. Device was ok ordered and picked it up. Still good food

Extremely mid. The service and the restaurant itself were fine, however the food is very bland. If you like nothing but a little salt on your food, you'll be happy. I had the catfish and shrimp combo and the French fries were the best part. The shrimp was fine just under seasoned but the catfish was soggy and bland. read more

It's good. They use cotton seed oil. So if you're not used to that, this might not be the place for you. I'm now used to this kind of oil, lived here a long time now. Service and ambiance are good and what you'd expect. A great Lubbock Institution. read more

Fried chicken was good. Simple fare order up front then they bring to your table. Simple family place.

The tatse of my blackened shrimp and whitefish was fabulous BUT I was seriously, after a $2 upcharge to blacken, served 3 bites of shrimp and 4 bites of fish. $15 Wasnt even appetizer size in most restaurants!!! So disappointing. Wont be back.... read more

Decided to gamble against heavy odds and try RS today. My meal of chicken wings and fried catfish tasted burned, I can barely imagine making fried chicken or catfish taste worse if they tried. It is an affront and a travesty to poultry and to edible fish that they should sacrifice their lives only to be treated with, along with we, the paying customers, such contempt by River Smith's. read more

Nice atmosphere, I like the decor. The staff is friendly and very patient. The fried catfish has good flavor and nicely breaded. The green beans are very tasty and soft. The food was good not bad for the price. There is a good selection. I definitely enjoy their fried catfish and look forward to trying the others on my next visit. Thank you for making my first visit great and welcoming. I highly recommend giving this place a try! read more

Why can't I leave ZERO stars? Never again! To their credit, it was shortly before closing and they replaced my fried catfish with fresh. Even so. Never! read more

Just ate here at River Smiths, if you are coming for catfish, forget it and just drive on. I ordered the 5 piece catfish dinner. The pieces were very small and if I was blind I would have thought I was eating breaded lettuce, that's how thin they were! I paid $15.68 for that. Never again! read more

Food quality is not what we hoped for, first-timer here and will be the last!! If you're looking for good fried catfish look somewhere else!! read more

Visited the restaurant around noon on a Friday. They were only moderately busy. Placed an order at the counter and received my drink cup and a table marker. Incidentally, all their soda products are Pepsi brand (yuk), no Coke. The booths are very much in need of replacement and uncomfortable; sat at a table. I had a Catfish Deluxe sandwich combo with a medium soda, 6 à la cart gizzards, and a small country gravy. $20 with tax. Less than ten minutes later my food was delivered to the table. Everything was adequately hot and looked OK. The catfish had a very fishy, slightly off-putting taste. The gizzards were over cooked and extremely tough and of small size. The gravy was pretty tasty. The fries were quite good but small in number. Quite a few years ago, way before the pandemic, this was a pretty good restaurant. I must say I was very disappointed with this latest dining experience and probably will not be back. read more

Honestly from the look of the place I thought it would be delicious. I was SORELY MISTAKEN. restaurant completely disregarded what was asked by us (my significant other can't eat certain parts of an order), and it was there anyway. So our order was wrong. My blackened shrimp dinner is labeled as "spicy" but it was one of the most bland servings of grilled shrimp ive ever had. Even the fried food that we ordered, the batter was not fully cooked (see photos) and so my wife had to pick off the fried shell. The french fries we're extremely soggy, the cheese was dried, and the bacon that they used on the french fries was the same kind you get at a salad bar. (See photos)The food does not smell good. Lastly, the Salad had pieces showing decay on it. If you don't want to get sick, eat somewhere else Overall horrible service. you can get your moneys worth elsewhere. DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

See all

For me, the place is just average. I was hoping for better catfish and chicken.... It was ok but I won't be back... way too many other places to go for better food. Order taker girl was very nice. Order runners are constantly on the move. Tables are kept clean in between customers. It wasn't a great visit but certainly not a bad visit either, I was just hoping for more. read more

This place is a gem! The food was delicious well priced. A sweet surprise though unexpected from the look of the inside. My salad was fresh crisp and light- highly recommend blackened shrimp. Our counter server was kind & very patient answering all of our questions. Please patronize this restaurant the construction seems to be impacting their parking lot. read more

Never again! Some of the worst catfish I've ever had. Food was definitely not fresh judging by my first bite of a small, thin piece of fried catfish. Should have left immediately when we pulled up into the handicapped parking spot & was immediately greeted by a homeless man who told us what food he wanted me to order & pay for. That should have been the first warning sign. Next thing I know, this homeless man is inside the restaurant at our table demanding food. Why was this even allowed to happen? Staff was non existent. Server that brought our food to the table was completely put out that we asked for some ketchup. Save your $$$ & eat somewhere else. Definitely not a safe place to be. read more

This place USED to be GREAT. It's now absolute TRASH. From the service to the food don't waste your time.

The clam strip dinner is great! I ordered an extra piece of white fish too thinking I wouldn't get full from the clam strips. Big mistake! The clam strip dinner has a very generous portion. Needless to say, I ended up getting a to go box. read more

Anytime I have a craving for catfish. This is my go to comfort place. The fish is fresh and made to order for a good price but

My go to place for catfish, but I also love bob's burger. Open face with chili! Great on cold nights!

I've been eating here as long as I can remember, they have really been serving old food lately and definitely not fresh! there barely was any gravy even on the chicken fried steak! I wish I could post a pic or I would! y'all have to do better! read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - This was so bad! Chicken fried steak - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

My son really enjoyed his chicken bits! The staff was fast and courteous. We even got complimentary onion rings. I really like the buns. read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Family went there for dinner, we all had different menu items. Two of the meals were okay but the other was extremely disappointing. He had the two piece chicken breast and fries. The so called beasts were so small they had to have been cut in half. The tenderloin was missing. When it was sent back because it looked like a thigh not a breast the cook came out aggressively and tried to tell us that's their way of cooking it. Very small breasts and never seen it cut and presented in that manner. read more

Oysters were fried and that wasn't listed which it should be because I wouldn't have ordered them, there was still batter where the crust was not finished. Shrimp was very good and good quality, Friendly staff and a cool looking place. Solid 3 stars. read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - Popcorn shrimp, butterfly shrimp, and fried oysters. - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

See all

Lets start with the parking, the parking lot is fairly big and it is a private lot. You should have no trouble finding a spot unless you're going during their usual lunch/dinner hours. It is seat yourself, you pay and order at the counter, they give you a number that you set on your table and they bring your food out to you. They do have free wifi you can connect to as well. The service is always good, and the food is never disappointing. I always get the chicken bit dinner, and substitute the coleslaw for extra fries. There has never been a time where my order was wrong that I can remember. This will always be one of my go-to places when I can't decide where to eat. The bathrooms aren't the cleanest but they're not awful. Sometimes you'll get stuck in there without toilet paper so make sure to always check before sitting down to take care of business. read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Absolutely horrible establishment. Walked and ordered at 5:17, I am now leaving at 6:03 and I was never served. We ordered 2 dinner plates, one appetizer and an order of fries. I came in with my autistic toddler who was excited to eat and we had to keep stalling and stalling and never got to feed him. I watched 6 large groups come in the door, place orders, sit down, and be served all different types of appetizers and ordered. I asked for our order to be checked, we have the receipt time stamped and refund receipt time stamped. We had to ask 3 times for our order. Each time we were told one of the dishes is special and takes 20 min, that we should've been told that at the time of the order (we weren't but non the less, we would've been fine with it) however they could've made 3 'fresh' batches. When we asked for our food to go, we still waited and waited and they couldn't tell me how long it would be. We requested a refund and someone in the back yelled 'we do not give refunds to people who lie!' To not only have such horrendous service but to then top it off with calling us liars when I have time stamped receipts, pictures, etc is beyond ridiculous. Avoid this establishment at all costs. read more

Overpriced and small portions but the food isn't bad if your looking for some fried or country style food.

River Smiths Food Truck! Wow! Catfish dinner was awesome- catfish cooked perfect, best tarter sauce in TX! Puffs were amazing with the honey, great example of a local business doing it during tough times. Delicious meal! Have been a customer of River Smith's for over 30 years, always consistent and a local favorite- find the food truck , you won't be disappointed! read more

See all

I ate their last month and you are not frying up the same catfish as use to. This catfish was very thin so it was cooked too long. I got some shrimp and oysters too they all tasted the same. What happened to those big thick pieces of catfish you use to serve fixed to perfection. Let me know when you get back to the big thick pieces on your catfish dinner I'll be back. Actually should of been just 1 star. Y'all are way off for good seafood. I saw another review and he said it exactly how the catfish is...beaten flat then fried.. River Smiths used to have the best chicken and catfish in Lubbock. what happened? read more

Awesome chicken & fish place with great food, good prices and a nice atmosphere. This was my first time here. I wanted some fish and Lubbock is pretty slim on options when it comes to fish. If you don't want LJS and don't want pay for over priced food at Red Lobster, you are pretty much out of luck. I did Google search for fried fish and it brought up Rivers Smiths. I decided to try it out and am glad I did. The staff friendly and they give free onion rings to first timers. I had the blackened shrimp and it was amazing. The free onion rings were the best I have ever had. They have a great choice e of teas, like Mango Passion Green Tea and Coconut. My first time here but it will not be my last. read more

See all

This is my honest review of River Smith's Chicken and Catfish based off of my preferences. The building is inviting and looks as an old seafood place should look. Honestly it looks as if it should be sitting off of the gulf next to the water not in west Texas. So the atmosphere is right for a seafood restaurant. When you enter you walk up to the counter order you food and get a number and choose a table yourself. This is also common with a lot of seafood restaurants off the coast. The wait staff then bring you your food. Once I ordered my food was to me in about five minutes. It was hot and it was cooked properly. I ordered the pick three and got chicken bites fried oysters and fried catfish. So if everything was good why three stars? Well simply due to price which was nearly $20.00 and portion size and condition of the food when prepared. So I got three oysters they were about the size of a quarter. Very small. Good flavor though. Cole slaw came in a little plastic sauce cup. Also good flavor. Chicken bites also three were good tasting and well they were called bites so I wont ding them on the size but I only got two. Catfish I received three and the taste was good. However it appeared as if someone beat the filets flat before breading and cooking. French fries were standard but good however this was one thing a received alot of. Hush puppies I got two and they were the size of grapes. Good flavor but not much to them. All in all good flavor just have an issue with portions and size and texture of items for the price. read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

food sucked customer service sucked food was burnt waited 20 minutes to get cold food I am done . train your folks with customer service skills . read more

I have to stop in for River Smith's delicious gizzards and of course the catfish every single time I visit this area. Few miles from my parent's home, always serving piping hot, freshly cooked food prepared to perfection. Deducting one star for inside facilities because of outdated decor and dirty restrooms. Still worthy of the visit. read more

Fantastic food and service! What a fun, little place! Good, hometown restaurant! Loved the chicken and fish...didn't try the shrimp. Fried pickles are delicious!!! And the onion rings! read more

A nice woody dining room but that's about it. Very ungenerous corporate portions and blah food. As we say in Texas, this place was all hat and no cattle. Fast food chain quality, pretty mcuh read more

I have been eating here for years and I absolutely love it!!!! Whenever you are in Lubbock, it's a must! There is a full menu ranging from burgers, fried chicken, to blackened white/catfish!! I recommend the "Bob's Chile Burger" or the "Chicken Fried Steak!" Although the fried catfish is very tasty as well. River Smiths has plenty of space and they can accommodate small to large parties. When you go in, place your order at the counter and when the food is ready, a friendly waitress will bring your food to the table. With a full salad bar and drink bar, what more could you ask for? And so you don't miss that big game, there are over six TVs and a huge projection TV in the main dinning area. Overall, this is my favorite place to eat when I come home!!! read more

River Smith's Chicken & Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

See all

The food was NASTY. The catfish is cheap, tiny pieces. The onion rings weren't cooked at all. The salad was disgusting. I'm not sure how you can mess up a salad but I couldn't even eat that because it was so nasty! It was a waste of $16 but I just see it as a donation because I will never eat here again. I heard it was nasty but I didn't expect it to be that bad. read more

The quality of the food has gone way down but the prices have gone up. Had lunch for three with no alcohol, salad bar, or dessert and it was over $50.00. Chicken Fried Steak was small with cold gravy and fries. The stuffed crab cakes were Costco/Sam's quality at best. Third order was two whole catfish that got good reviews from the diner but come on...$13.00+ for two catfish? Very disappointed. read more

Awesome place to eat. Simple laid back, good honest food and honest prices. People were very friendly, it's nice to go somewhere that's not a chain. I got the cats fish and it was made perfectly, the Cajun rice and beans had the right amount of spice. The sweet tea was perfect, the right balance of sweet and tea. I will add this to my food stops in Lubbock. read more